Saturday 13 July marks the beginning of a new dawn for Manchester United while Perth Glory seek to banish their Grand Final demons in a match for the ages at Optus Stadium.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will aim to stamp his mark on the Red Devils during his crucial, first pre-season campaign after the club legend realised a dream by being appointed permanent United manager in March 2019.
Meanwhile, Tony Popovic and his team return to the scene of their Hyundai A-League Grand Final 2019 nightmare for the first time since that crushing penalty shootout loss to Sydney FC back in May, hoping to walk away from Perth's stunning new stadium with a smile on their faces this time around.
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For one coach, it’s about lighting the flame of a new era amid the scrutiny of leading one of the world’s biggest clubs.
For another, it’s a chance to reignite the touchpaper after the most dazzling season in the club’s history was extinguished in such a painstaking finale.
And it will all transpire at Optus Stadium on Saturday 13 July, 7pm AWST, 9pm AEST.
Glory team news
Perth prepare to face the 20-time champions of English football with a midweek clash against FFA Cup Round of 32 contestants Bayswater City, where some info could be revealed about their potential squad to face Manchester United.
Popovic’s charges open their 2019/20 pre-season campaign against the NPL WA powerhouses on Tuesday 9 July, with new signings Bruno Fornaroli, Nick D’Agostino, Dane Ingham and Jacob Tratt potentially in the mix for a first run out in a Glory jersey.
The West Australian have reported that Diego Castro is yet return for pre-season and Andy Keogh is overseas for his brother’s wedding, while Chris Ikonomidis, Alex Grant and Ingham could be injury doubts.
Dino Djulbic ruptured an anterior crucial ligament in the Hyundai A-League Grand Final so is unlikely to feature.
United team news
“Everybody should be available to be picked. Hopefully they are all fit when they come back [from the off season]. The first team is going to be there [in Perth],” Solksjaer told MUTV.
Solskjaer welcomed the bulk of his players back to pre-season training last week, including first-team regulars David de Gea, Anthony Martial, Jesse Lingard and Romelu Lukaku.
Other seniors being put through their paces at the Aon Training Complex included Victor Lindelof, Phil Jones, Matteo Darmian, Eric Bailly, Fred, Nemanja Matic, Ashley Young and Marcos Rojo.
New signing from Swansea City, Daniel James, was also in the mix, but fellow newcomer Aaron Wan-Bissaka has extended leave after turning out for England at the UEFA European Under-21 Championship in June.
Alexis Sanchez will also be away following his appearances for Chile in the Copa America.
Andreas Pereira and Axel Tuanzebe have penned contract extensions. That news follows announcements that Juan Mata and Marcus Rashford have also signed new deals.
The United squad fly out of Manchester on Sunday 7 July and arrive in Perth on Monday 8 July to prepare for their matches against Glory and Leeds United.
They then travel on to Singapore to play Inter Milan and Shanghai to face Tottenham Hotspur in the International Champions Cup.
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They said it
Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer
“We’ve got six weeks until the league starts so we can’t take it easy.
“I can’t wait to get on tour and have the first game against Perth Glory. I think that’s the first time we’ll see them in the new shirt, in the kit, and that means something.”
Perth Glory striker Bruno Fornaroli
“The way [Glory] are training is unbelievable, like I have never seen before.
“There's a tough couple of weeks coming but we need to trust the boss and the staff. The way [Perth] played last season starts here in pre-season.”
Details
Manchester United v Perth Glory
Date: Saturday, 13 July 2019
Venue: Optus Stadium, Perth
Kick-off: 7pm AWST, 9pm AEST
